Electroreduction of uranium (VI) at a platinum electrode and its analytical applications

Under normal conditions, the reduction of uranium(VI) at a platinum electrode, in acid solutions, is masked by the reduction of the hydrogen ion. If the working electrode is subjected to hydrogen evolution (at a current density of about 7 A cm (2) for 90-120 min) the H(ads) on the platinum surface, acting as a bridge in the electron transfer, shifts the reduction wave of uranium(VI), in 1M sulphuric acid solutions, to potentials (E(1 2 ) congruent with - 0.03 V) less negative than that of the hydrogen discharge (about -0.25 V). The wave corresponding to the reduction of uranium(VI) to uranium(IV) is well shaped, diffusion-controlled, and can be used for the determination of uranium down to 2 x 10(-5)M or 3 x 10(-6)M if a rotating electrode is used. Interferences arise from those ions with similar E(1 2 ) [i.e., Cu(II) and Bi(III)], or from those such as permanganate and dichromate, which oxidize the H(ads) on the platinum electrode. Because of the time required for the electrode pretreatment, the determination is time-consuming but in some respects it appears a useful improvement over the DME.